Fountain pen



Sept. 25, 1928. 1,685,414

F. M. ASHLEY FOUNTAIN PEN Filed Sept. 23. 1927 1. IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII/IIIIll!!! 11111111111)! INVENTOR Patented Sept. 25, 1928.

UNITED STATES FRANK M. ASHLEY, F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

FOUNTAIN PEN.

Application filed September 23, 1927. Serial No. 221,436.

My invention relates to fountain pens. The object of my invention is toprovide a fountain pen that is easy to fill and which will have a largeink capacity. A further object is to provide a pen having a mainreservoir of relatively large capacity, that may be closed from theatmosphere, and a small feed reservoir that is at all times in opencommunication with the feed duct leading to the pen point, and means foropening communication between the main reservoir and feed reservoir tosupply the latter with ink.

This pen should always be used with the main reservoir sealed in such amanner that no air can enter the main reservoir except when inkisfiowing therefrom to the feed reservoir, unless the pen is made in asmall size whereby the feed plug is capable of controlling the entireink supply.

Referring to the drawings which form a part of this specification:

Fig. 1 is a view of the exterior of a pen embodying my invention. I

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of a portion of the piston rod,piston and filling tube, shown on a larger scale drawing, and showingone way to pack the joint between the filling tube and piston.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the body portion of the penshowing the pis ton and alve held in proper position to allow ink tofiow from the main reservoir into the feed reservoir.

Fig. 5 is a tool used to turn the nut which compresses the packingaround the piston rod.

A indicates the barrel of the pen in which is located the main reservoirA. B indicates a. pen section which is connected to the barrel at B. Theinner wall of the barrel is formed with a smooth cylindrical wall and isenlarged in diameter at one end to provide a by-pass conduit A which isformed in open communication with a feed chamber B and the bore B inwhich the feed plug C rests.

The feed plug is provided with a centra cylindrical passage leadingentirely therethru, and a small cylindrical tube D is held rigidlytherein at one end and projects therefrom into and substantially theentire length of the main reservoir as shown. A feed duct C is formed inthe feed plug in the usual manner, and a pen E is held in the usualman-v ner at the front end of the pen section.

A tubular piston rod F made of hard rubber, the inner diameter or whichis somewhat greater than the outer diameter of the tube D, is fitted toslide thru a stufling box G formed in an end plug H, and is providedwith a handle I, by means of which it may be reciprocate-d.

A piston J, of less length than the by-pass conduit A is fitted on theinner end of the piston rod F, which rod directly abuts the inner sideof the end wall of the piston at J, as illustratedin Fig. 4, or may abuta washer K, as shown in Figure 3, which in turn abuts cork or otherpacking material K used to insure a tight sliding joint with the tube D.If the packing is not used, the'piston is made to slide over the tube Din close fitting relation in a bore J formed in the end wall of thepiston.

A hole L is drilled thru the piston and pis ton rod to form a passageleading to the annular passage M formed between the piston rod and tubeD, which passage communicates with the passage thru. the tube D andpassage C leading to the atmosphere at N. The end surface 0 of the istonserves as a valve to close communicatlon between the main and feedreservoirs when it abuts the inner end of the pen section B, and when inthis position the tube is closed by a plugP which is adj ustable in theend of the piston'rod D and also serves to prevent ink from passing fromthe reservoir to the atmosphere, as will be readily understood. This lugP may be made of cork or other suita le material such as soft rubber.

The inner end of the handle I is provided with a. thread I which engagesa formed in the plug H.

As illustrated in Fig A, the piston rests in the conduit A midwaythereof so that ink may flow from the reservoir A to the feed reservoirB, and the end of the tube adjacent the plug P is spaced therefrom sothat air can flow from the atmosphere thru the tube D and annularpassage M, and hole L into the main reservoir, and bubble up thru theink therein to the upper end thereof as the ink flows therefrom nto thefeed reservoir, thereby permitting the ink to flow freely during thisoperation. After the feed reservoir is thread filled, the handle I isscrewed into the plug H to seat the piston and close the passage betweenthe reservoirs and also cause the plug P to abut the end of the tube 1)and close the passage C thus completely closing the main reservoir.

The tubular piston rod is rather brittle and the Wallis thin. Therefore,.the arrangement "of the rod relative to the piston is rather imsmallerand more convenient gripping surface for the fingers, as illustrated atR, and have provided a smooth surface at S and S to hold the cap of thepen by frictional engagement.

To fill the pen, the handle is unscrewed from its engagement with theplug H and the opening N is submerged .in ink, after which the piston isdrawn to the upper end of the reservoir, thus trapping the air and any'ink therein, and forcing it thru the hole L, passage M and tube D thrupassage-C and outlet N. When the piston is forced down thru the barrel,ink is drawn in thru the said passages and fills the reservoirs, afterwhich the handle I is screwed into the plug H to close the conduit A andpassage leading to the main reservoir as above set forth.

When the pen is full of ink, it is not so necessary to have the passagesthru the tubes closed as the ink serves as a seal and prevents the penfrom flooding, but when the reservoir of a pen having a large inkcapacity is partly or nearly empty, the feed duct C is not able to holdthe ink, especially when the air in the barrel expands due to heat, andif the tubular passages'are not closed, even though the valve betweenthe reservoirs be closed, and the tubular passages not closed, the airin expanding will force some of the ink from the main reservoir thrusaid passages to the atmosphere.

Having thus described. my invention, I

claim as new: i

1. A fountain pen comprising a barrel having a reservoir therein, a-feedplug having a bore extending therethrough, a tubular piston-rod, apiston thereon, a tube extending from said bore in said feed plugthrough said piston into said piston rod and contributing to form anannular passage between said piston-rod and tube, said piston and rodhaving a passage leading from said reservoir to said annular passage toprovide a continuous passage leading from said reservoir through saidtube to the atmosphere.

2. A fountain pen comprising a barrel having a reservoir therein, a feedplug having a bore extending therethrough, a tubular piston-rod, apiston thereon, a tube extending from said bore in said feed plugthrough said bore extending therethrough, a tubular piston-rod, a pistonthereon, a tube extending from said bore in said feed plug through saidpiston into said piston-rod and forming an annular passage between saidpiston-rod and tube, said piston and rod having a passage leading fromsaid reservoir to said annular passage to provide a continuous passageleading from said reservoir through said tube to the atmosphere, saidconstruction embodying a feed reservoir communicating with said firstreservoir and means for closing communication between said reservoirs.

4. A fountain pen comprising a barrel having a reservoir therein, a feedplu having a bore extending therethrough, a tu ular piston-rod, a pistonthereon, a tube extending from said bore in said feed plug through saidpiston into said piston-rod and forming an annular passage between saidpiston-rod and tube, said piston and rod having a passage leading fromsaid reservoir to said annular passage to provide a continuous passageleading from said reservoir through said tube to the atmosphere, saidconstruction embodying a feed reservoir communicating with said firstreservoir and means for closing communication between said reservoirs,and means for closing the passage leading from the reservoir inthe-barrel to the atmosphere.

5. A fountain pen comprising a barrel having a main reservoir therein, apen section having a reservoir therein, a feed plug therein having acentral bore extending therethrough, a tubular piston-rod having apiston thereon, a tube extendin from said bore in said feed plug throughsaid piston into said piston-rod and contributing to form an annularpassage therebetween leading from said reservoir through said tube tothe atmosphere, said piston and tube fitting in sliding relation toprovide a joint for the purpose specified, said construction having afeed chamber located adj acent the end of said pen section in opencommunication with the atmosphere at one end and with the main reservoirat its opposite end, said piston serving to close communication betweensaid reservoirs.

6. A fountain pen comprising a barrel having a main reservoir therein, apen section, a feed plug therein having a central bore extendingtherethrough, a tubular piston-rod having a piston thereon, a tubeextending from said bore in said feed plug through said piston into saidpiston-rod and contributing to form an annular passage there betweenleading from said reservoir through said tube to the atmosphere, saidpiston and tube fitting in sliding relation to provide a joint for thepurpose specified, said construction having a feed reservoir locatedadjacent the end of said pen section in open communication with theatmosphere at one end and with the main reservoir at its opposite end,said piston serving to close communication between said reservoirs, andmeans for closing the passage through said tube.

7. A fountain pen comprising a barrel having a reservoir therein, a pensection having a feed plug therein with a bore extending therethrough, atubular piston-rod having a piston thereon, a tube extending from saidbore in said feed plug through said piston into said piston-rod andcontributing to form an annular passage between said piston-rod and tubeand packing material located betweenthe end of said piston-rod andpiston, substantially as shown.

8. A fountain pen comprising a barrel having a reservoir therein, afeed-plug having a bore extending therethru, a piston having a bore thruthe-centre thereof one end of which is reduced in diameter, packing insaid piston, a tubular piston-rod abutting said packing and holdin itunder compression, a central tube eXten ing from said bore in thefeedplug thru said piston and packing into said tubular piston-rod, saidpiston and rod having a passage leading from said central tube into saidreservoir in the barrel.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, this21st day of September, 1927.

FRANK M. ASHLEY.

